The Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-11

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men^[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,^[b] and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities^[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’^[d]”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Two things really strike me from this passage.

One, what incredible faith and motivation the wise men had when they saw the sign of Jesus' birth. I mean Peter had a hard time believing in who Jesus said he was and that's with the benefit of walking with Jesus on water. The wise men were moved by signs which went unnoticed by most, but were nevertheless profound and powerful enough to spur them to cross deserts and travel thousands of miles to worship a baby!

Two, the wise men were evidently readers! Allison talks to me all the time about the different intelligences people can have and how that influences their ability to learn. Regardless of what type of a learner a person is, the common thread between all intelligent and informed people is how well read they are. Of course being well read isn't the same as being wise but you don't get wisdom without being well read. No doubt many people knew about Micha 5 which was the prophecy the wise men referenced for Herod. The wise men used their knowledge and understanding in the service of their faith. They somehow managed to be intellectually and culturally elite, while understanding their place in light of an all-might God.

Amazing.